The present invention relates to a datacenter (also known as a data centre) which is a facility that houses servers, computers and associated components, such as telecommunications and other equipment that store and backup large amounts of data. Such datacenters must store the data safely and effectively, which requires that the center include adequate backup systems, equipment and procedures to assure continuous operation, including continuous access to data, protection of equipment, including adequate cooling, and security. The primary systems requiring backup are the electrical system and cooling system, which are the fundamental systems to enable the continuous operation of the servers, computers, communications and security systems.
Today, many datacenters are created in specially designed, stand-alone buildings, with few windows, and are well-sheltered from the outside weather conditions that can degrade or damage equipment. Also, the buildings are designed with special attention to exhausting heat generated by the continuously operating equipment.
Among the needs that have arisen with the recent proliferation of datacenters is a design for the infrastructure of supporting equipment and systems that enables datacenters to be housed in a cost-efficient manner within available, existing building structures. There are numerous advantages to creating a datacenter which utilizes an existing building. Economic times may make existing structures more readily available in desirable locations and at a cost that is substantially less than a building of new construction. Use of an existing structure can provide other financial opportunities such as the leasing of a building, which can reduce upfront costs in creating a new datacenter. The construction of a new building may face several hurdles including zoning limitations for newly constructed buildings and the difficulty in finding an undeveloped site for construction of a new building. A site that would be suitable with demolition of an existing building can force further issues in terms of the demolition itself and community and governmental limitations on the replacement structure. The construction of a new building optimally designed for the datacenter use may not conform with the local zoning requirements.
The design for the infrastructure of the datacenter should provide equipment that is available and accessible for repair, replacement and upgrading, without causing the datacenter to interrupt operations. Additionally, there is an ever-demanding requirement to provide a datacenter which can be expanded to accommodate more servers and computers, or to enable the replacement of existing servers and computers with updated or new generation models of greater speed or capacity.
New equipment of greater speed or capacity can generate greater amounts of heat requiring increased cooling and air circulation demands, as well as necessitating an increased power supply. Therefore, the increase in servers or computers or the use of new models of servers or computers can require additional demands on the supporting systems and equipment supplying power and cooling. This underscores the need for the datacenter to be planned with the ability to expand the power and cooling resources for supporting the datacenter.
From a cost standpoint and based on environmental and structural considerations, it is desirable to develop an infrastructure of supporting systems for a datacenter that can be located outside the building that houses the servers and computers. For example, existing buildings sought to be utilized for a new datacenter may not be adequate to accommodate the specialized, large and heavy equipment required to provide backup power and other supporting systems. Also, the expansion of an existing datacenter may be impossible unless supporting systems are removed from the building to provide additional space for the added computers and servers that are needed.
It has been recognized that power and cooling systems for a datacenter can be included in modular units, and that such an approach can provide savings and advantages. www.activepower.com/no_cache/solutions/whitepapers. For example Sun Microsystems introduced its Sun Modular Datacenter which included in a 20-foot shipping container the equipment needed to operate a 200-kW of IT capacity. The Sun modular datacenter is intended to rapidly install an entire datacenter, not only the infrastructure systems but all equipment, even the general purpose racks for servers, storage and other equipment. While the Sun Microsystems Modular Datacenter approach may be appropriate for installing a complete datacenter in unusable areas where a building is not available, such an approach does not achieve the approach of many IT organizations seeking to utilize an existing building in a desirable location.
In another modular system for datacenters from Liebert Corporation of Columbus, Ohio, a system known as SmartMod™ is described which includes modular units for an integrated infrastructure as well as housing for the datacenter itself.
U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0290197 describes equipment for a datacenter which is provided in a modular configuration. However, this publication contemplates a new building specially designed for the modular system which would include the cooling system in the building. The publication also describes the system as having a single point of failure (see, e.g. publication in FIG. 6, between the exterior bus cross-over 601 and the main switch board 609).